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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Arthur Koestler
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(1905–83) Hungarian-born author, living in England from 1940 and a British citizen from 1948. His experiences as a member of the Communist party (1931–8) led to the novel for which he is best known, *Darkness at Noon. He wrote a wide range of non-fiction, including several books on science, such as The Case of the Midwife Toad (1971). His interest in parapsychology (The Roots of Coincidence 1972) led him to leave £500,000 for a chair in the subject; this was eventually established at the university of Edinburgh. He also funded annual arts prizes for people in prison. A keen supporter of *Exit, he committed suicide when suffering from Parkinson's disease and leukaemia; more controversial was the fact that his third wife, Cynthia, 22 years younger, killed herself with him.
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